The Real Reason You Don't Hear From Barbara Mandrell Anymore

Though Barbara Mandrell may have retired from actively performing and making music, her musical legacy lives on. In 2009, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (via ​​NWTN Today). Superstars including Reba McEntire and Michael McDonald, as well as Barbara's sister, Louise, performed tribute songs to her while Mandrell thanked her father, Irby, for helping catapult her career. Irby died just two months before the ceremony at the age of 84 (via Los Angeles Times). 

"Irby Mandrell was my manager as well as my Daddy over my 38-year career. He taught me, guided me, and directed me," said the country singer. "It is his name, Mandrell, that I am blessed to have, and it's the gracious loving public and fans that made our name known and popular. So tonight I thank you with my entire being for putting the Mandrell name into the Hall of Fame."

In 2020, producer and DJ Dave Aude, who has worked with stars like Rihanna and Beyoncé, remixed the first number-one country song that Mandrell had back in 1978, "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed" (via Rolling Stone). Mandrell loved the final product, saying, "Oh my gosh, I was thrilled. The arrangement and the beat really throw down, and that's what makes me happy."